[intransitive](+ adv./prep.)(rather formal)to work in the correct waysynonymoperateDespite the power cuts, the hospital continued to function normally.We now have a functioning shower.Many children can't function effectively in large classes.Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Frenchfonction, from Latinfunctio(n-), from fungi

‘perform’

.Extra examplesAll the instruments were functioning normally.Can we devise a system in which judges function independently of party politics?I can’t function properly without a coffee.My brain could barely function through the pain.Problems arise when the body’s immune system is not functioning adequately.The bombs continued to fall, but somehow the city still functioned.The group has now become a fully functioning political organization.The organization functions primarily through volunteer efforts.This model does not describe accurately the way a market economy actually functions.When nutrients are in short supply the body cannot function normally.a system in which judges function independently of politicsMany children can’t function effectively in large classes.Phrasal Verbsfunction as somebody